Railway truck and brake mechanism therefor



J. LEDWINKA May 25,1943.

RAILWAY TRUCK AND BRAKE MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed June 20, 1940 3Shegts-Sheet 1 osre h Zedwz! INVENTOR ATTORNEY y 1943. J. LEDWINKA2,320,086

RAILWAY TRUCK AND BRAKE MECHANISM THEREFOR I Filed June 20, 1940 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Josephliedwz'nha ATTORNEY May 25, 1943. J. LEDWlN-KA RAILWAY TRUCK AND BRAKE MECHANISM THEREFOR '3 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed June 20, 1940 Q R m n w@ wm@mgm. u@mn m n m m m w v w w v w w J wH xml uumuldnum I on line 5-5 Patented May 25, 1943 RAILWAY 'nwox ANDBRAK p 'rnnnnron E MECHANISM Joseph Lcdwinka, Philadelphia, Pa.,assignor to Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company,

Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of vania 11 Claims.

The present invention relates to a railway truck and brakemechanism'therefor.

Another object of the invention is to provide annular mountings ofrubber or similar material for supporting various parts of the truck andthe brake mechanism.

A still further object of the invention is .to provide a railway truckhaving a pair of yieldably supported arms at each end of each side framefor supporting an end of an axle with a wheel thereon a side frame.

Other objects and advantages of the invention in part will be-explainedspecifically in the present specification and accompanying drawings,disclosing a preferred embodiment of the same, and in part will beself-evident from the structures involved. v

In said drawings, which is purely diagrammatic as to many of thefeatures disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wheel truck, having the inventionincorporated therein;

Fig. 2 is a partly sectional plan view of one quarter of the same truckona larger scale, the section being made on the plane indicated-by theline 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partly sectional elevation of the device, also on the scaleof Fig. 2, the section being made on the planes indicated by the brokenline 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation on the scale of Figs. 2 and3 and on the plane indicated by line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and p Fig. 5 is afragmentary transverse section taken of Figure 2 on a somewhat largerscale. I

In all the figures similar elements are designated by correspondingreference characters.

The truck chosen for illustration comprises side frames I preferablybuilt of sheet metal for strength and lightness, said side framesbeingjoined near their mid-points by the transom 2, as indicated in Fig. 2. 4The axles 3 are here shown as non-rotating or dead axles. Wheels 4 havetheir hubs 6 mounted to rotate with respect to the axles 3 by reason ofthe roller bearings comprising tapered rolls 1 held between the innerconical races 3 and the outer conical races 9. o

A brake disk comprisingv a portion 5 on one side of the'web ll of thewheel and a portion III on the other side thereof, may be secured tosaid wheel and supported funyieldingly by means of Pennsyl- ApplicationJune 20, 1940, Serial No. 341,456

against the web Ii, said disks 5 and being mounted and centered on thewheel by means of flanges l4 and I secured by the bolts l1 and 7 nuts l8as shown, suitable spacing collars l5 holding them in correct position.It will be noted that the flanges l4 and I5 do not extend to the .wheelhub 6, but terminate radially beyond the 10 positioned between said armsand at an end of member may have metal secured to both faces 7 separablepieces 2| and 2|".

same, so as to leave open air spaces which will' allow air to enterbetween the web II and the respective disks 5 and I0 for coolingpurposes. These flanges may have air holes therein. I

In order to permit the axles 3 to tilt slightly in either direction soas to adjust themselves to inequalities of the track, the ends of saidaxles are supported by pairs of special spherical bearings, having eachan innermember 20 with an outer convex spherical shape and a member 2iconcentric with 20, a rubber or similar member 22 being interposedbetween the two. This rubber thereof, by vulcanization or otherwise, asshown at 23 and 24, these metal faces being in contact with thecorresponding surfaces of the members 20 and 2 I. The outer member 2|consists of two The outer members 2i form part of a pair of arms 25extending on both sides of each wheel 4 and the adjacent end of the sideframe toward the transom 2 and terminating each in an annular member'25.Within each member 26 are several rings of rubber or similar material asshown at 21 and 28, each of them comprising a rubber ring secured tometal rings on both faces thereof as indicated at 29, 30, 3|, and 32.metal portions are secured to one another, the ring 23 being secured tothe member 26, and the inner ring 32 of both arms 25 are secured to theends of a cylinder 33. The arms 25 are thus resiliently secured to thecylinder 33 through the rubber rings 21 and 28, which will be stressedin shear whenever the axle moves up or down braced by ribs 38. The endof a screw 3Tbearsbraces, such as the fins l2 and i3, abutting 56against the flange 35, the screw being threaded The adjoining terial andof a hollow construction having a.

. channel member 25, side plates 25 and an annular member 25 in one endwhile a member 2i is in the opposite end. The spacing channel 25*- bentin a manner such as shown in Figure 4 and having the side plates i5connected to its flanges forms the general profile of the arm 25. Theends of the channel 25 terminate a spaced distance from one another atthe axle end of the arm and are bolted as at 25 to both sections 2| and2i of the member M. A series of ribs or vanes 2i are provided on thesection 2i and are housed within the hollow arm 25, the outermost ofsaid ribs or vanes 2 l having surface contact with the side plates 25and being attached thereto. By removing the section 2| from the section2 l the axle may be disconnected from the arm 25.

The annular member 26 has cast or otherwise fixed thereto a pair ofspaced flanges 25- projecting endwise of the arm 25 and between the sidewalls 25 thereof. Tubular bosses 26 are formed on and connect said pairof flanges, and through bolts 26 extend to connect the side walls 25 tothe annular member 25. The ends of the tubular bosses contact with theside plates 25 and thus provide spacing members for supporting the sideplates in proper position.

Within the cylinder 33' the brake-operating air cylinder and otheroperating means may be housed conveniently. The air cylinder 53 has twopistons therein, one secured to the piston rod 44, and the other to theopposite piston rod 45, so that said piston rods will move outshown,attaching members 41 are secured to the to receive the rod or cableleading to the hand brake wheel. Both the piston rods 44 and 45 and theplungers 54 and 55 cooperate with the corresponding ends of the brakelevers 58 and 59, which are pivoted in the lugs 58 0nd 6| respectively.by means of the pins 62. The lugs 68 and BI are constructed on the headsof certain of the bolts 25 extending through the arms 25. Each of theselevers may have a hole 83 at its end. between which 'a spring .64 undersuitable tension may be stretched, so as to act as a restoring meansnormally keeping the brake levers in position to disengage the brakeshoes from the brake disks 5 and Iii.

The arms of the levers extending between 52 and 63 are, preferably,considerably longer than the other arms of the levers 58 and 58, eachshort arm being pivotally connected by a pin 55 to a link 65 extendinginwardly through a hole 25 in the arm 25 toward the respective brakedisk, thelevers thus exerting a multiplying action on the forces exertedby the piston rods 44 and 45 or the plungers 54 and 55. The holes 25 arereinforced by tubular members 25 having their opposite ends attachedtothe side plates 25 of the arm 25.

In order to transmit the said forces to the brake shoes, use is made ofa lever 61, pivotally held by a pin 68 to a collar 69, mounted on theaxle 3, while its other end 10 is slidably mounted between the oppositewalls of a guide 1| on a casting or'forging 1| secured to thecorresponding arm 25 by the bolts 26. In this way the member 61, whichis bifurcated, .as best shown in Fig. 3, may move pivotally in and outto a slight extent but can not turn about the axis of the axle 3. Thebrake shoe 12 is pivotally secured to the lever- 61 by a pin 13extending through said lever and through lugs 14- on the shoe. certainof the lugs 14 is a sleeve 14 having a lug 14 extending between the armsof a yoke 15, adjustably held in the link 56, as by screw threads'forexample, a pin HG-serving to. hold the yoke and lug together pivotally.

It will be noted that the levers 61 thus prevent rotation of the brakeshoes 12 about the axis of the axle3, but do not themselves transmit thedirect brake shoe applying force, which acts substantially in a-straightline from each pin 55 to the brake shoe. From the structure thus fardescribed it will be evident that when air pressure is applied to thepistons, or me-- chanical force is exerted on the lever 55, in eitherevent the levers 58 and 58 will have their long arms forced apart, so asto cause their short arms to apply the brake shoes 12 against the brakedisks 5 and I0.

In order to support the arms-25 against rocking or twisting movement andto hold the same in axial alignmentwith the cylinder 83, an end cap 11may be secured to the inner annular member 25, for example by means ofcap screws 18 threaded into a thickened flange 18 of said member 25, asshown in Fig. 2. This cap 11 is' here shown as conical, with ribs orbraces therein for stiffness, and having an opening 8| to provideclearance for the levers 58. The cone may be supported pivotally by astud 82 thereon held in a split clamp 83, secured to the transom 2 by anarm or bracket 84.

This end cap 11 in addition to its supporting function also protects theinterior of the casing 26 against the entrance of foreign matter andagainst mechanical injury, and also serves to a certain extent toprotect the rubber rings 21 and 28 against the chemical disintegratingef-,

fects of light and oil. etc. The outer side of the outer arm 25 may beclosed by a relatively light sheet metal cap 85, as shown, and this mayhave a removable cover 86, to provide access to the interior whendesired. The lever 58 may pass through a suitable opening 81 in the can.85. The remaining sides of the rubber rings may be further protected byadditional caps 88 and 89, if desired.

It will be understood that the/cylinder '33 is relatively stationary,and that the members 25 have a certain degree of pivotal movement aboutthe same, by reason of the rubber rings 21 and Also mounted on the pin13 between 28.. In order to prevent undue movement 'of the casing 26, astop member 90 may be mounted on the cap 39 to cooperate with a pair ofprojections 9| secured to the casings or forgings I ll, bolted to thearms 25,, so that contact between the stops BI and the cooperatingresilient stop 90 will serve to limit any undue downward motion of thetruck frame.

The operation of the structure which has been described hereinabove willprobably be clear from the structure itself, but may be summarizedbriefly as follows:

When a load is applied to the side frame I,

it will stress the rubber rings 2'! and 28. circularly in shear andcause the same to yield in a circumferential direction. Due to theresilience of.

the rubber this yield will deaden any shocks and vibrations and at thesame time will reduce the noise of operation, by acting as a soundinsulator between the wheels and the frame of the truck. Furtheryieldability is provided by the rubber elements 22 in the ball jointssurrounding the axle 3, so that said axle has a certain limited amountof freedom of movement and may adjustitself to differences of level ofthe rails.

The-{brake mechanism is carried with the wheel in all thesemovements ofthe same'and is always held in proper position to cooperate therewith.When compresesd air is admitted to the cylinder 43, the piston rods. and45 will move outward and force apart the long arms of the levers 58 and59, and thus will cause the brake shoe to be applied to the brake disks5 and x of one another and do not conflict.

The brake disks 5 and it will be cooled by the natural air currentsproduced by the travel of the vehicle, assisted by the radial aircurrents produced by the vanes .or ribs l2 and i3, acting as blowervanes.

Rubber or similar material has been used herein to provide the necessaryyield and resilience, and this rubber is protected against unduedeterioration by enclosures surrounding the same, which at the same timeprovide streamlining and thus add to the appearance of the truck frame.

While a single specific form of the present invention has been disclosedherein and moreover in a highly diagrammatic embodiment, it is clearthat the invention may be embodied in many other forms and that many ofthe details 7 herein disclosed may be modified. added to, or

eliminated entirely, without sacrificing any or all of the advantages ofthe invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be considered to be inany way limited by the specific disclosure, but its scope is definedsolely in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A wheel truck comprising a frame, a hollow support carried thereby,an annular member of yieldable material surrounding and attached to thesaid support, an arm having one end surrounding and attached to the saidannular member, an axle, an annular member of yieldable materialinterposed between and connecting the said axle and the other end of thesaid arm, a wheel mounted on the said axle, a brake ring secured to thesaid wheel, a brake shoe cooperating with the said ring, and means foractuating thesaid shoe, the said means having a portion housed withinthe said hollow support.

2. A wheel truck comprising a frame, a hollow support carried thereby, abrake cylinder housed therein, an annular member of yieldable materialsurrounding and attached to the said support, an arm having one endsurrounding and attached to the said annular member, an axle, an annularmember of yieldable material interposed between and connecting the saidaxle and the other end of the said arm, a wheel mounted on the said'axle, and brake. mechanism actuated by the said cylinder andcooperating with the said wheel.

3. A wheel truck comprising a frame, a support carried thereby, a pairof arms independently yieldably carried by said support, an axle havingone end thereof carried by said arms, and a wheel on said axle andlocated between the arms.

4. In a wheel truck; a frame, a bearing being provided on said frame; asupport carried by said bearing rotatably about a substantiallyhorizon,- tal axis; adjustable means inserted between said bearing andsaid support being adapted for changing the angular position of saidbearing and said support; a member being carried by said supportrotatably about said axis in a substantially vertical plane; springmeans being inserted between said support and said member opposingrotation of said member with respect to said support; a wheel beingcarried at a distance from said axis by said member; said adjustablemeans permitting the adjustment of the height ofsaid wheel with respectto said frame without demounting any parts of the structure and whilesaid truck is loaded.

5. In a truck; a central transverse transom structure; longitudinal sideframe members at tached to the ends of and extending in longitudinaldirection a short distance beyond said transom structure; supportingwheels arranged in longitudinal direction at a distance from the ends ofsaid side frame members; levers extending on both sides of .each wheel;said levers flanking both sides of and being joumaled at a locationbetween said wheels and said transom structure to the ends through eachend of said side frames; 'pairs of said levers being joumaled to thelaterally projecting parts of said cross-members on both sides thereof.7. In a vehicle; a frame; an axle extending transversely to and over thewidth of the vehicle; 7

said axle carrying one wheel near each end; a pair of arms beingarranged near each wheel, one arm on either side thereof; said armsextending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; each arm havingone end independently and yieldingly 'joumaled to said frame; the otherend of each arm being connected to said axle by means adapted to allowlimited relative angular movement of the axle and said arm substantiallyin a perpen dicular transverse plane.

8. In a vehicle; a frame; an axle extending transversely to and over thewidth of the vehicle; said axle carrying one wheel near each end; a pairof arms being arranged near each wheel, one arm on either side thereof;said arms extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; eacharm having one end independently Joumaled to and supporting yieldinglysaid frame; the other endy'of each arm being connected to said axle bymeans adapted to allow limited relative angular movement of the axle andsaid arms substantially in a perpendicular transverse plane; saidconnecting means between said axle and said arms comprising annularmembers of yieldable material such as'rubber.

9. In a vehicle; a box section wheel supporting structure comprising twoplates spaced from each other and having their contours correspond tothe general contour of said structure; avrail being bent so as toconform to at least a considerable part of the contour of said plate;said rail being inserted between and having its lateral marginal partsfastened in overlapping relation to the marginal portions of saidplates; a casting or forging being inserted between and attached over awide area to said two plates, said casting or forging forming a bearingin the interior of said structure between the two plates thereof and anadditional cross brace between said plate.

10. In a vehicle; a frame structure; a wheel: a pair of arms. one arm oneither side of and near to said wheel; said vwheel supporting said armsnear one end of the latter, and the other ends of said arms supportingresiliently said frame structure; said arms being swingable in aperpendicular plane with respect to said frame structure; each armcarrying a lever on its side which faces away from said wheel;connecting means extending from each lever through an opening in theadjacent arm and being connected to a brake shoe at the side of the saidwheel; means for moving said levers so as to apply 0 release the brakeshoes.

11. In a vehicle; a frame structure; a wheel; a pair of arms,.one arm oneither side of and near to said wheel; said wheel supporting said armsnear one end of the latter, and the other end of said arms supportingresiliently said frame structure; said arms being swingable in aperpendicular plane with respect to said frame structure and at leastone arm carrying brake actuating means on its side which faces away fromsaid wheel;

'connecting means extending from said first

